Area youth ages 8 to 17 will have a chance to take to the skies on Saturday, June 18, as Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 386 will host a Young Eagles Flight Rally at the Austin airport.

The rally is part of the EAA Young Eagles Program, created to interest young people in aviation.

Those who wish to attend can go to Austin Airport at 10:30 a.m. to register for a flight. Flights will begin at 11 a.m., with registration closing at 2 p.m.

Additional information about EAA and the EAA Young Eagles program is available at www.youngeagles.org.

“Free airplane rides are just part of the flight rally,” said Mike Bibus, spokesman for the event. “We hope to build one-to-one relationships between pilots and young people, giving a new generation a chance to learn more about the possibilities that exist in the world of aviation.”

Pilots at the event will explain more about their airplanes, allowing young people to discover how airplanes work and how pilots ensure safety. Following the flights, each youth will receive a certificate, making him or an official Young Eagle. The distinction will also be permanently displayed at the EAA Air Adventure Museum in Oshkosh, Wis.